“Whoever tells the story… writes history.”
Anthropologists have a world of information the world needs to know, and now there’s an opportunity for them to add to the national and international conversations that effect all of us.
In 2019 the AAA started a program that provides the opportunity for selected members to take part in one-day “Write to Change the World” workshops organized and facilitated by The Op-Ed Project – a think tank and leadership organization that accelerates the ideas and impact of underrepresented voices with stunning results.
Games, high–stakes scenarios, and live experiments challenge participants to think in new and bigger ways – exploring the source of credibility, the patterns and elements of persuasion, the difference between being “right” and being effective, and how to think bigger about what they know and have more impact in the world. Participants emerge with concrete results (op-ed drafts and more), and access to a national network of journalist mentors for individual follow up. Member op-eds were placed in The Baltimore Sun and the Leadville Herald within weeks of the workshop.
It’s time we published our anthropological scholarship and expertise so that our leaders and the public get the information and ideas they need to make the best decisions. Op-eds aren’t the only answer, but they’re a great start to an increased public awareness of the important contributions made by our field.